MY NEIGHBOUR ! What chance with others ?

SMIDSY ( S orry M ate I d idn't s ee Y OU )  from a neighbour , hurrying to a Sunday afternoon drive ?

An attitude of "I AM BIGGER THAN YOU " , as the blue estate car pulled into a slightly wider street , from the one lane track that runs past his house . I have not had a look to see if this peasant , actually lives in that lane , which i am allowed to ride a bike along , but is signposted against " Rat running ". No point as he had driven off elsewhere .

Living in rural Tirol ( An area bidding for the UCI Road Race Champs in 2016? ) of Austria , in the village of a Radio Shack Racer , you would think that the locals are aware of Cyclists . Not so , the local Polizei only see me when the local turd complains about me stopping them in their driveway to explain that , " I ride to promote " BEHINDERTEN ( disabled/para ) SPORT " , not to join them !







My gate is on RHS of photo past house , note the road sign and width of lane used by neighbour ! The white car is about where the Blue Estate car stopped.




The road i live in , is 40kph and 10M east of my entrance there  is a choke point that is wide enough for a Bus/Truck to pass through whilst others travelling west wait . Regularly in the afternoon , as i sit in the sun , i see Coaches having to back up East , so as to allow another Bus/Coach/truck to pass through . No doubt this is because there is more backed up traffic going west ? This road is NOT the main road , but has become an escape route since local bus services use it to capture more passengers in the winter . Many of the houses , are winter accomodation for Skiers , thus walking in Ski Boots and carrying Skis , etc , poses an unacceptable burden for the visitor ? Local traffic at this time of year involves many tractors towing extra sized Farm machinery .








My gate is on LHS of photo





When the village has the " Speed Radar Display ", and when i am not aware of it , i usually see 35kph displayed , but when i know it is there , i am trying for in excess of 45kph , OOps , i meant 40kph ! This village is 40kph throughout , but  vehicles make sure they get in front of you , before they decide to observe the " Speed Limit ", when they remember ?

Yesterday , i was 50M from my gate bowling along at 30+kph , when " Herr A**ole , arrived at the end of his lane , looked at me ,  ABSOLUTELY SURE  he saw me , looked right for vehicles , then drove into my space ! The part of the road i was on , was NOT WIDE ENOUGH for 2 vehicles to pass , but hey a BIKE, THAT CAN STOP , can't it ? Well i went left and stopped in his path , he stopped blocking the road , looked at me , like " WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE "? Then imperiously waved , get out of my way  ! Woman passenger was looking at me saying something , then at him , then he shrugged , like " What do we do now "? Well no point talking to him , hopefully the woman was filling his ear ?

Previous blogposts , have mentioned a variety of other incidents in this road , let alone elsewhere . Fact is , whereever you live as a Cyclist , you can NOT RELAX , each vehicle poses a hazard , regardless of whether it is following or coming towards you . Brad Wiggins wins the " Le Tour " and a neighbour rewards him with a visit to Hospital . Regular reports of Racers of every Cycling discipline feature in the Media and it is ALWAYS reported as the Media's  " impression ", that the CYCLIST was the cause of THEIR Misfortune !

CYCLISTS choose to ride the roads for a variety of reasons . In my case , yesterday was a means to get out and about , after watching the Solden Ski Races on Eurosport . In past years , i would arrive in the Resort on Tuesday with my bike , ride to the Glacier on several days , ski with the Racers on their training tracks and ASK them to speak about " Para Sport " with the Media . Since my " Fund Raiser " at Solden in 1998 , i have rarely missed Solden or the Kitzbuhel Weekend , but this year with no car the past 2 months , i have been disinclined to rent a car to make the journey . My original plan was to have headed to Oz after this event but as yet still awaiting replies to some matters that i started enquiries about in August ! Some "Jobsworth " is about to receive a kicking from their Head of Department , particularly when i post the blog on that story !

AS most reading will know , i support several " Cycle Safety Blog/Websites " but i am going to plagerise a new site i found today , since it reveals many of the issues i have previously mentioned !

http://www.amygillett.org.au/oct2013enews

http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/sport/0030608-the-on-going-fight-against-gender-division-in-sport.html

http://www.facebook.com/SafeCyclingAustralia?ref=stream&hc_location=stream



The New site :

https://aaron-ball.squarespace.com/cycling-in-brisbane

A selection of points :

  " what needs to be done is: 

1. Proper funding and world best practice design, even if it means taking space away from moving and parked cars.  This doesn't mean separated Copenhagen-style paths on every street.  It means useful, connected, planned bike routes where necessary, which are separated from cars.  

2. Lowering speed limits: 30kph on local streets and 50kph on connector roads.  Here in Brisbane, and in most Australian cities, the default speed limit is 50kph.  That means that even little laneways, cul-de-sacs, residential neighbourhoods, nursing homes etc. etc. drivers can drive at 50kph and usually drive at 60kph happily. Next up in the hierarchy of roads, collector roads which provide local access but also move traffic from local roads to main routes, speed limits are usually 60kph or 70kph,  which means drivers do anywhere between 65 to 80 kph.  Seriously, if you drive around Brisbane at or below the speed limit, you will get honked at, abused, or cut off by irate drivers who want to stay with the flow of traffic (generally 5 to 10 kph above the posted limit.

3. Changes to the road rules so that cyclists don't have to pretend to be cars, or are at least protected from cars.  Bicycles are not cars and should not be categorised as 'vehicles'. The average person cannot propel a bicycle so as to beat a car to a destination further than 5km away. The average person probably couldn't propel a bicycle across an intersection quicker than a car. Being forced to do so (by having to stop at stop signs or red lights, and being prohibited from crossing with pedestrians) means the average person won't even try.

4. Get rid of mandatory helmet laws.  There's lots of evidence that while helmets may prevent some types of head injury in the unlikely event of some types of crashes, the social damage mandatory helmet laws cause (disincentive to cycling, shaping cycling culture as a male-dominated sporting culture, risk compensation, signalling that cyclists are responsible for mitigating danger etc. etc.) far outweighs the advantages. Despite this, State Government still churns out the propaganda.

Some submissions call for an awareness campaign.  Even though none have worked before, not even Scotland's depressingly fucked up Niceway Code campaign (which even goes so far to say that cyclists are not even a subspecies, they're horses).

The problem with most government produced awareness campaigns is that they are usually undermined by government's inherent, car-centric bias.  Some pinhead in Scotland's traffic department probably thought cyclists wouldn't mind being ridiculed, if it got drivers onside. I wonder how many Scottish cyclists get carrots thrown at them instead of beer bottles. 

Australian governments have the same bias.  For example, Queensland's 'Share the Road' campaign went to great lengths to deliver twin messages with equal weighting: It takes two to tango, so cyclists follow the road rules and motorists give cyclists plenty of room.   Thereby entrenching the fallacy that cyclists disobey the road rules more than cars do. 

Here's the message for drivers, encouraging them to give cyclists plenty of room on the road:

Those reading the above points will have seen much of the same in Blogs from UK, US  European & other Oz sites !

MY NEIGHBOUR ! What chance with others ?

World Bicycle Relief

Fatcyclist.com is starting this week , a new fundraiser for this unique and worthwhile Charity ! This got me thinking about ways of " publicing " their fundraising efforts . As many will have read in other blog posts , most of the equipment i utilise , as i ride the various Pro World Tours , are provided for me by generous Equipment Suppliers  .

The idea of riding a Complete Grand Tour came to mind ? Could the people behind " WBR " be able to provide a " Pink " unit for training purposes , then service it during the actual Giro d`Italia ? Sram service people are always at the Grand Tours visiting the Teams using their products in past years . In fact i recall meeting people that won competitions that they sponsored , at Team Hotels as they serviced Bikes .

Carrying this idea further , could a number of " Pink WBR bikes "  be built , some sold to those in different parts of the world as " Fundraisers " and then if the owners chose to visit the Grand Tours , be loaned similar units to ride on the " Routes of the Grand Tours "?

Over several years i have reported riding with Francesco Moser , Gianni Motta ; Maurizio Fondriest & Paulo Bettini as they escort " Guests on a ride from the " Villagio Partenza " and also to " Villagio Arrivo " ! It occurs to me that " Sram " could partner with " Banco Medillianum " and thus those " Guests " choosing to invest in a " Maglia " from Banco M. , could choose to donate a " WBR Bike " ? Yes , they may even choose to ride a " Pink WBR bike " with Francesco and Co ?

Normally Francesco rides a " Moser model " , Maurizio a Fondriest ,  as Gianni has ridden a " Motta model " , in the past , could they not ride a " Pink WBR model " either painted/decalled  " Donated by Banco M."?

So there are transport logistic issues involved ? Fattys' army , are renowned for solving " molehills "! Each year ,  " 100 MON " takes place at a variety of locations , i on my part , have ridden it several times  , last year " LÀlpe D`Huez  was the location i utilised , during the Dutch Cancer Fund Raiser .

With so many Media Journos at the Giro d'Italia , it seems such an obvious " publicity opportunity " for promoting the fantastic work that " World Bicycle Relief " continues to do .

Should those working with " WBR " make a success of this at the Giro d'Italia then there will be an opportunity for even more Publicity to be generated at  " Le Tour " !  With so many " Tour Operators " bringing " Punters and their Bikes to " Le Tour " , many riding a bike , at " Le Tour " could save the expense of bringing their own bikes , and utilise a " Yellow WBR Bike "!   Journos could not fail to find a story here ?

Another thought came to mind , in the U.K. , there are Op.s for workers , to buy bikes through their " Employers " , thus getting tax relief ? Could " donating " to a " WBR bike " be included into this scheme be considered ? Noted that there is other " Tax relief Op.s " available and suggest contact with the following email address could elicit that info :  kbolling@worldbicyclerelief.org

World Bicycle Relief

Oz Cycling's FUTURE ?

Matt White is not the only Aussie Cycle Racing Star that went to Europe and was presented with a dilemma but because he was mentioned by Levi Leipheimer at the USADA inquiry he has stepped aside to allow Cycling Australia to decide his future !

Remember " Festina " and those sent home from the 1998 Tour de France ? I was there , riding the Route of the " Le Tour " for the first time . Kind of interesting to find the Gendarmerie providing escort long into the time that the racers should have caught up . Unbeknown to me they were having a sit down strike in Annecy because of the way they were treated when their hotels were raided .

Festina Affair was supposed to have brought change , then the Grand Start of the 2006 Tour de France was supposed to have cleared out All the suspect racers , leaving out the likes of Jan Ulrich & Oscar Sevilla . Now we are in the throes of another controversy and when you read the next item you will wonder what is likely to happen when the European season gets going in 2013 .

George the Cyclist like myself rides the route of " Le Tour " each year and eagerly attends the Annual Chicago Garmin Store Event which Chris Vandevelde uses as a way to thank his hometown fans . This year he was front page news in the morning National Papers due to his Confession , nicely timed to coincide with the release of USADA's reasoned report on Lance Armstrong's Career . You would think that the evening event would be dominated by questions from angry and bewildered fans ? Not So as George relates here :

www.georgethecyclist.blogspot.com

Business will be resumed as normal on the 1st April 2013 thanks to USADA making promises to those US Racers that chose to give details at the hearings . A member of the US Justice Dept. sat in the room reading a transcript of the Grand Jury testimony they had previously given , no doubt ensuring accuracy ?

This weekend i came across a report that Senator Lundy , Australia's Minister of Sport was seeking Information from the Public about Cycling matters . This info was relayed by a comment in the CNF Clinic on Phil Anderson , who it appears has relayed his thoughts on a Cycling matter that he was party to in 1993 that was reported on the Australian ABC network .

Senator Lundy is seeking submissions via Post , Telephone , fax & Email . I have used email :

                      senaror.lundy@aph.gov.au

"  There is a report that you are seeking information on the USADA Inquiry into Cycling Activities surrounding Lance Armstrong and how it relates to Australians !

Blogging for several years I have made my views known , relating to Cycling , to a Worldwide Audience . Some of these people are Australians , as I am , and some are people that I have ridden with at the Tour de France and other events .

Most of the media reporting from  “ Le Tour “ are aware of my riding the route of the Grand Tours the past 15 seasons , to “ Publicise Disabled Sport  “! Each year many Aussies from the Media seek me out , as do those from other countries . Described as an “ Icon “ by some and laughed at by others , I have enjoyed meeting and greeting those of the “ Worldwide Disabled Communities “ that know of my work , espousing their cause . There are quite a few that have publicly thanked me in the media .

Last week many of those Cycling Athletes that I have ridden with on the Grand Tour Rest Days , admitted to “ Doping “ ! Many of those people were in the past two years called before the US Grand Jury and questioned under oath as to their activities relk ating to Lance Armstrong and the teams he worked with . The US Government were applying a higher standard to the Evidence obtained in the Grand Jury and in the fullness of time choose to do more with that evidence !

USADA ran a separate enquiry and their Standard of Evidence is at a lower level BUT whilst those named in the report published last week , were giving their evidence , it is reported that a person with a copy of the Grand Jury Transcript , was sitting in attendance , reviewing the transcript . What effect this had on those summoned by USADA is a matter of conjecture ? Certainly there were Australian Cyclists mentioned in the USADA report , since many Australian Cycle Racers have achieved international stature and are to be found riding in Europe at the Grand Tours and Pro World Events !

It comes as no surprise to see Matt White named ,as I first met him , when he was riding with Casagrande , whom the Tour de France Director advised in 1999 , not to arrive as a rider , at that edition of the Tour de France . I was with Matt when he won the Tour de Suisse Stage into Leichenstein that year , and I know he was heartbroken to be missing the “ Le Tour “!

Since the USADA Report was orientated towards Armstrong’s activities , only Australians that worked on that team nay be considered “ tainted “ by association .

Cycling Sport was rocked by the “ Festina Affair “ in 1998 , because that team was sent home from that edition of the “ Le Tour “!  Amongst the team was an Australian ,Neil Stephens , who works together with Matt in many roles associated with Australian Cycle Sport . What will be done about his past associations , remains to be seen , but I am sure speculation is rife ?

With the internet , I am able to communicate with you , and also follow the overall media picture . I use as a primary source the following website and suggest your staff take the time to provide you with a précis of matters that may require your attention and consideration :

http://www.steephill.tv/2012/usada-lance-armstrong-doping-case/

From this site you will get a comprehensive overview of what is relevant in the Cycling World .

Whilst riding the route of the “ Le Tour “ I have come to know  “George the Cyclist “ . He rides with Panniers whilst I race along the route so we only meet at the finish screen most times . Last week in his home city , Chicago  , he attended a Garmin Cycle Team Sponsored Event . Principal Speakers were Chris Vandevelde , whose confession to “ Doping “ was announced in the National Papers that morning , and another Team Member , Tyler Farrer , whose Father was a noted Track Cycle Racer that became a Renowned Surgeon until struck and paralysed in a road accident some years ago . The report of the evening’s event is contained in this link :

www.georgethecyclist.blogspot.com

It will be clear to you , after reading this report , that those confessing , believe that the “ storm of controversy “ will blow over , and that it will be back to normal before the start of their next racing Season !

Reports in the media indicate that All Those confessing were “ promised “ a 6 month suspension starting 30th september2012 , this means that most will have not lost any of their Team Racing opportunities ! Sweet deal for them if that is the truth ?

My purpose in writing to you is to request that you and the Australian Government require the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Anti Doping Organisation DEMAND of the IOC and WADA to institute an immediate “ AMNESTY IN ALL SPORTS “!

Sport is no longer “ Amateur “ in the OLYMPICS and World Championship Levels ! It has become a colossal Money Spinner for the Athletes , Organisations and Sponsors that are associated with Sport ! It would be almost certain that Criminal Elements have infiltrated Sport to the extent that very few Sports could claim to be “DRUG FREE “ and results are not corrupted by “ Match Mixing “ activities .

Until those who have stepped across the line and participated in Doping in their Career , ALL Athletes both Past and Present are open to pressure from Criminal Elements who are continually seeking an advantage for their activities . Just look at the number of retired athletes advising their doping Activities once they past the Statute of Limitations , in recent years !

On the 29th October , Chris Prudhomme of the ASO , owners of “ Le Tour “, will announce the route of the 100th Edition in 2013 of “ le Tour “! He will , it is believed , act to “ nullify the results of 1999 to 2005 “ . Personally I think this should be from 1990 through 2012 , since the EPO drugs were available in that period and the “ UCI “ did little if anything to control the effects they had on Cycling Professionals . Reports on the UCI , indicate that in 1997 as well as 1999 they chose not to impose “ Bans “ on suspect Racers !


Do you wish to see a continual dribble of sensation tainting Australian Sports OR do you wish to see the DOPING PROBLEM eradicated ? YOUR CHOICE !

AS an expat Aussie I can only hope that you will apply your status as Minister for Sport in leading Other Nations in supporting an “ AMNESTY “ that will close down the Criminal Elements controlling SPORT !

THOSE OF YOU READING THIS SHOULD THINK ABOUT WRITING TO YOUR NATION'S SPORT MINISTERS asking them to ACT !!

UNTIL YOU DO , there will be no change in Cycling ! More of Chris Vdv 's attitude will prevail and perhaps more young cyclists will risk their lives following their dream of success but finding DEATH and failure instead !

Oz Cycling's FUTURE ?

PAUL KIMMAGE

" The Rough Ride " written long years ago , went against the grain , and thus Paul Kimmage became a " pariah " in the Cycling Industry ! Moving into a new way of looking at what has happened in the Cycling scene , has become de riguer all of a sudden , certainly since Lance was advised by USADA that they were seeking to strip him of his Palmares since 1998 !

 Last year Paul was interviewed at the Tour de France and some of the subjects raised would cause people to reassess their attitudes to those in the peloton , myself included : http://www.veloveritas.co.uk/2012/09/25/pk-2/

 Recently i have seen reports that Lance's Wife passed out " items " at the 1998 World Road Race Championships in Valkenberg , that was a " tipping point " from my perspective . Hard to believe that Lance was " innocent " of ALL the accusations leveled at him , with his wife acting in this manner ? Like so many i was happy to wait for the " proofs " that he was all that was said of him .

Whilst i do not rely on the likes of shamilton and flandis , i do believe that Kimmage and Walsh were on the right track with their revealing articles . " Emma O'Rielly " was , like Betty Andreau , treated to a battering in the media , but stuck to her position regardless of the consequences . Recently we have seen some Cycle Racers like " Bassoon and Simeoni " being hailed for their stance regarding the " Doping Era " .

Omerta still seems to be holding many Cycle Athletes in it's thrall , but with the USADA investigation following the Federal Grand Jury , many former colleagues of Lance have owned up to their involvement in the " Doping Era " ! Whether their evidence involving Lance , will be accepted as fact , no longer matters , since Lance on the 25th August , chose to " walk away " from the " arbitration process " that US Cyclists are bound by , with their Race Licences ! That they race with a US Licence in Europe , means that they must conform to the US rules and regulations , does it not ?

 During the past week we have seen " UCI " trumpet their win against flandis in the Swiss Courts ! What a joke ! Before this announcement , i and others were aware that there was an action in progress , but even that was because Heinous said that flandis could not be found ! Some joker on CNF stated that they did a search ( google ? ) and found him in one effort , says a lot for how hard the " UCI people " were looking .

That flandis's lawyer says no papers were served sounds certain , that he did not appear in the Swiss Court , is a fact . That in recent times he has been committed by US Courts to repay $480000 to those who believed his lies , could mean that he no longer had the funds available to visit Switzerland if he chose to defend himself .

 That the prats of Aigle succeeded in telling ALL and Sundry what flandis stated some years ago , has now come back to haunt them . Just about anyone that is interested in Cycle Racing now knows that he said CERTAIN THINGS that can be summed up as follows :

 " The Swiss Court ruled that flandis can no longer state the following in these words : that " the UCI, Hein Verbruggen and Pat McQuaid " : .have concealed cases of doping. .received money for doing so. .have accepted money from Lance Armstrong to conceal a doping case. .have protected certain racing cyclists, concealed cases of doping. .have engaged in manipulation, particularly of tests and races. .have hesitated and delayed publishing the results of a positive test on Alberto Contador. .have accepted bribes. .are corrupt. .are terrorists. .have no regard for the rules. .load the dice. .are fools. .do not have a genuine desire to restore discipline to cycling. .are full of sh1t. .are clowns. .their words are worthless. .are liars. .are no different to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

 Of course there are ways they can spend more money in the USA Courts to make the decision of the Swiss Court applicable in the USA , but, we have seen their behaviour in relation to Greg Lemond , when they took the same action route against him some while before . Could Greg initiate an action against phat &  heinous to cause then to avoid visits to the USA in case there is risk of imprisonment if his Court action was to succeed ?

 Paul Kimmage was also treated to a similar court summons and is thus required to be in Aigle on Dec 12th 2012 . Could it be that the " prats " will have the matter adjourned for fear that they will have their butts soundly kicked ? Through the intervention of one of the " publishers " of the offending articles , a " Defence Fund " was set up by the following site which currently contains contributions by 1700+ people , including Greg Lemond , of in excess of $53000 !

 http://www.cyclismas.com/

 Paul Kimmage called earlier in the year for a " Root & Branch " clean up of the " UCI " , and this must have struck a chord with Phat , since he proposed a " truth & Reconciliation Commission " , at the UCI Management Meeting in Holland recently . This was recently backed by Anne Gripper formerly a member of UCI Management , but the " UCI  Board " decided , that it was not necessary , since they were already doing such a " good job ( my words ) "

 http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gripper-cycling-cannot-move-forward-until-lance-issue-is-resolved?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

 Rupert Guinness , an Australian Journalist has recently returned from vacation and as the articles that follow indicate , he has undergone a revision of his approach to the doings of Lance and the UCI .

 http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/cycling-must-come-clean-from-top-down-20120926-26kzv.html

 http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/exdoping-head-backs-armstrong-inquiry-20121005-274ox.html

 Here is what a member of the CNF had to say about him on a thread in recent days :
 http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=18735

 " rupert is not a real journalist, he just writes fluffy 'opinion' pieces about what people want to hear (though he never seems to have his own real opinion on anything) but yes it appears that the tide is turning when a clown like rupert turns on wonderboy "

 Another commented : " It has been a long hard road but I think we are finally getting somewhere. The comments section now has 'Lance is a cheater' remarks greatly outnumbering apologist remarks. A lot of articles I read have a tone that assumes that everybody understands LA was a doper. In a podcast I listened to several weeks ago the commentators spoke in defense of LA and very much against USADA only to have an interview in the next show with Alexi Grewal where he nonchalantly stated "I probably would have doped like lance did too!" You nailed it Dr Mas. Thankfully we are now getting some truth. I am glad I won't have to have lance is a doper arguments anymore. The only thing is now the arguments will be whether it was morally acceptable or not. __________________ It’s an inbred system where the mentality is that if I don’t get caught then I’m clean.-JJ "

 Because of the " Paul Kimmage Defence Fund " and thus the likelihood that IF the prats of Aigle appear in the Aigle Court on Dec 12th , the Cycling World will see the " UCI " shown , for what it has become , REAL CHANGE could take place !

 Regardless of what UCI does in the next week , since the USADA have advised they plan to deliver their report on the " Lance Affair " , Lance , himself has been busy with his life as demonstrated by the following report : 

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/10/news/must-read-armstrong-says-he-doesnt-care-about-doping-charges-confirms-livestrong-series-talks_255736

 Thanks to Paul , many more Cycle Racers , will then find it possible to BREAK Omerta and speak out !

When the floodgates OPEN , Cycle Racers will feel safe to voice their feelings but will the likes of Jaschke benefit and be brought back into the fraternity ?

 THE PETITION here , needs your SUPPORT ! SIGN ON TODAY :

 http://www.change.org/petitions/international-cycling-union-aka-the-uci-remove-pat-mcquaid-and-hein-verbruggen-from-cycling-forever?utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=884164#invite

 YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED , NOW !!

 ADDITIONAL MONDAY 8th Oct

 REPORTS are coming through the internet , that those involved in the " UCI " court action , are planning to call a halt to this action ! There are also reports that Mc quaid´s sister has made some pertinent comments on this Court case ! Would appear that the $53500+ raised to date , by 1750+ concerned people , has had a dramatic effect on the " prats of Aigle " !Would it be that they thought , that they were attacking a " lone , defenceless , unemployed reporter / journalist " ?

 BULLIES can be defeated by the TRUTH !

Not too late for Greg Lemond to issue legal action against the " prats of Aigle " for their attempt at silencing him ?

@paulkimmage is a twitter feed well worth following !  Last week he reminded me about a Great Paralympic Personality that i had found some time back and today he was revisiting how he came to join Garmin at the 2010 Tour de France ! Would love to see a blog about the experiences that he and his family are suffering as they approach the 12th Dec  confrontation in Aigle . There is bound to be a book at a later date and we have seen " Fat Cyclist " convert his earlier blog posts into the first of many books !

PAUL KIMMAGE

CRASHES

Are they really necessary for the public entertainment ?  Amazed to see that the Peloton’s arrival in Sete , 25 km before the Etappe finish  did not produce more mayhem . This little town on the South coast of France is a nightmare of narrow roads even on a mid week afternoon , let alone when 150+ Racers try to negotiate the narrow , sharp and twisty turns into a short uphill segment of the day’s etappe . Remember that the racers were already close to 200km along the day’s route , Passed through this nightmare location both by bike and car so seeing yesterday’s TV coverage brought back bad memories .

Of course the Tour organisation wanted to produce “ Entertainment “ for the viewers ? Really , did they want a casualty list to add to the carnage generated in earlier Etappes ?  Riding alone on these roads , I only have to cope with impatient drivers , who are not as thoughtless as those in major cities or larger towns . But when you are in the middle of a bunch and the front throws on a sudden stop , where do you go ? Over balancing and at the same time being hit from behind by other racers , you fall against your neighbour , thus the domino effect .  So there are team cars to rush replacement wheels to the riders , that is IF they are able to continue in the race .

Yesterday’s finish was thought to be a sprint , but after Sete the TV was showing a “ Cavandish Group “ , initially 1 min down but in the last 25km it could make no effort to catch the front runners and finished 2 ½ mins behind . So much for the “ King of the Sprint “ for this etappe ! Great Entertainment suddenly becomes diminished by the “ Star Turn “ being side lined . OK we still saw some great sprinting and Greipel narrowly won the Photo finish !

Many parts of yesterday’s route took the racers down narrow lanes through the countryside thus freeing up the main routes for the French Public . Part of the reason that Teams have following Estate wagons is to provide replacement bikes and refreshments but there were difficulties in safely passing racers even for those on the motorbike . During any day’s racing there will be the occasional touch of a wheel that brings down a few Racers but deliberately creating nightmare scenarios does not entertain me or most other cycling fans !

When people read that the racers “ Protested “ before the start of yesterday’s  etappe , should they be at all surprised ?  Any of you recall the Milano Sunday in the Giro d’Italia , some years ago ? The racers were expected to race around the streets of Milano , paralleling tram tracks ! Yes , the tram tracks were left uncovered so that when you move over a few centimetres , your wheel drops into the track . What do you do to make a turn ? Oops over you go , if you were unaware . Of course you could do a bunny hop to get the front wheel free but at 45+kph even the most experienced racer would be in difficulties ! Of course the result that day was a  “ Go Slow “ and Angelo Z. was furious and called  it “ Cowardly Conduct “ by the racers for spoiling the giro’s plans . I rode that course , alone , behind the racers and my eyes were constantly on the road surface . Some parts I could make good racing speed but at corners and tram crossings I was slow and making angular or sweeping turns to avoid the hazards , something that the racers could not do at speed whilst in a bunch !

Michael Barry is a star Cycle Racer and also an Author , so he knows all about the racing scene . Here is the Link to an article he wrote recently :

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/1226051--ferocity-of-the-peloton#comments

So many points that a Cycle enthusiast would not consider , are covered by this article , so it makes for good reading . Would be even better if tour Organisers were to read and learn from the message that he is trying to convey !

Photos do not tell the whole story , only the resulting damage . Johnny Hoogerland lying in the field made a good income for the Photographer but did he think about sharing his monetary gains with the facer ? As of now Hoogerlands is waiting for some compensation from this event , a year on there is no sign of any recompense for the pain and suffering ! Would your insurance company allow you to be treated in this way ? So he got back on his bike to finish the day in the casualty facilities , BUT he could have won that day as the group he was in was well placed to take the victory ! Financially he is OK , as he still got his salary and there was no time off for the injuries .  Both Johnny and my mate “ Jaffa “ got back on their bikes and made their way to the finish  . Wonder what Juan Antonio Flecha received as recompense for his injuries in that incident ?  Racers expect to lose time from injury during the normal course of their career but when you are skittled by a VIP Sponsor vehicle driven by a careless driver I feel sure that the racer is due exemplary recompense .

Not seen this year’s TDF Race Book , so at present am wondering what last year’s page 7 , about Road Safety says about Cyclists , particularly conduct towards the Racers ? Would it be wishful thinking to expect that the ASO regard the safety of Cyclists as an IMPORTANT matter ? So far I am unaware of whether the ASO or L’Equipe have made any effort to promote Cycle Safety Campaigns such as the “ Cities fit for Cycling “ campaign initiated by the “Times “ in February ! With the whole world looking at the “ Le Tour “ , be they Cyclists or Vehicle Drivers , how effective would a Safety on Bike Campaign have been ? Subliminal Ads would have persuaded errant drivers to be more aware of the Cyclist , perhaps even caused them to behave with more consideration ?

To date I wait to see what POSITIVE results come from this year’s edition of the “ Le Tour” but I can tell you that in this season I increasingly notice that vehicles seem to think that driving into a roundabout , whilst a bike is there , is their right ! They get a bit miffed when you slow causing them inconvenience . Many times I have not been able to make my exit , so had to go around the full roundabout again rather than risk collision . In Austria , as no doubt in other places , you are required to signal the exit . That is what the sign shows ! Fact is , you are supposed to be signalling the turns in each direction . Following traffic then know you are exiting or continuing the turn until you arrive at your  exit on the roundabout . Small point for some , but I am always looking at the vehicle wheels regardless of the size of vehicle and the situation so as to avoid a surprise .

Cycle Racing has been lucky in recent times in that we have had no “ High Profile “ deaths , such as Wouter Weylandt  in the 2011 Giro d’Italia  but there have been plenty of incidents where Racers have been placed in “ Drug Induced Comas “ to assist their recovery !  There have been other Race incidents that put the likes of Paul Crake in wheelchairs for the rest of their lives . Paul was at the World Champs in Salzburg one month then racing in the Southland Tour in New Zealand  where he crashed and finished up in Rehab the next ! Long since done with racing but happily married in recent years .

Found this tweet from Cedric Vasseur , who had his share of misfortune in his career :

Cédric Vasseur‏@cedvasseur

So many riders involved in crashes or being sick just 2 weeks before the Olympics... Wish all of them a fast recovery.. #GoldMedal

Of course Cycle Racing is not considered as Dangerous as Formula One but then Aerten Senna being killed and Alex Zennardi being turned into a Paraplegic Case are “ High Profile “ casualties of that Sport ! Alex will race for Italy in the “ Hand Bike Events “ at the London 2012 Paralympic Games in September .

Wishful thinking on my part , to think , there will be no further unnecessary crashes before Paris ? Hopefully those first week nerves , have long since diminished , but as the racers get more tired , will they be taking more risks ?

NB Congrats to Papa Fabian Cancellara !

CRASHES

Lancing Armstrong

The Rumours are flying around that the horse has got away ! Yes the Tour de France has become the sideshow for the USADA tilt at gaining notoriety , as it endeavors to find traction and thus credibility,  in it's quest to destroy the efforts of a whole generation of US Cycle Racers ! Lance is the target , but any US Racer that was on his teams , are getting besmirched and splattered with flying DUNG !

In an effort to pursue Lance , it appears that USADA , is prepared to make the USA Cycling scene look like a cheating circus ! Take a good look at the offering above ! Needs little effort , to put names to the characatures  depicted !

What has brought this sideshow into the open ?

Speculation is rife that Lance or his supporters leaked to a variety of newspapers the speculation that a number of ex team mates were granted " Suspended Sanctions" for stepping up and giving evidence against guess WHO ? Seems there is nothing that the USADA will not do , to achieve their sole goal , of removing the " Armstrong Era " from the record books !  Remember Bjarne Riis made an admission of " Doping " some years ago ,  " ASO " removed him from their " Le Tour "records for a while , then backtracked and reinstated him  . Regardless of the result of USADA 's efforts can anyone imagine " Le Tour " records NOT showing Lance as the winner of 1999 through 2005 ?

New York Times printed the following report , after the Principle story appeared on Thursday in Madrid , Spain , Italy and Amsredam story :

 " Tygart said that no individual cyclists had yet been punished in connection with the Armstrong case, contrary to a report Thursday in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. That report said that Hincapie, Leipheimer, Vande Velde, Zabriskie and Jonathan Vaughters, a former Armstrong teammate who now runs the Garmin-Sharp team, arranged a deal with the antidoping agency to serve six-month suspensions for their own doping in connection with a suspected conspiracy. Those suspensions would begin in September, the newspaper said.

  "  The Garmin-Sharp team, which is known for its stalwart stance on antidoping, said in a statement that “reports of suspensions are untrue.” "


As you will recall i follow the CyclingNews forum as a source of info as well as of amusement , one of those subscribers has acted like the " dutch boy with his finger in the dyke " , good on him !

his comment :

 " can´t imagine anything will happen to Lance. He won´t be punished for anything, it all will lead to nothing at all.

I personally would have seen VandeVelde, Leipheimer and Hincapie as non-clean riders before, and Zabriskie as non-clean rider who rides non-clean only occassionally.

Tour-wise, mid 90ies to mid 00s have been the USPS/Telekom years. Telekom has been outed officially, so outing USPS is just fair, nothing more.

Lance is and stays the biggest rider of the Tour in history. Media had to write, the winners had to celebrate, fans had to cheer. The only ones who were cheated were the few clean guys. Look at Moncoutie, lokk at the 12 names who did better than him in the 2002 Tour, and you know who has reason to be angry.

Lance´s USADA case won´t change cycling, it will stay like it has always been. Cycling on world class level stays a battle of 98 % of guys on PEDs against 2 % on bread and water. Professional bodybuilding is 100 % - 0%, professional athletics maybe 90%-10%, tennis 70-30%, soccer 50-50, and so on. I can´t see anything can be changed or improved there; it´s good as it is in the moment.
I don´t like Francesco Mosers demand on legalizing PEDs, because then we have nearly 100-0 in cycling.

I have respect for Lance, I have also, and maybe even more, respect for Moncoutie. "

This guy deserves praise , as i had made a comment elsewhere , Thursday , after reading something which alerted me to the breaking story !

My comment :

Originally Posted by skippy

Seems that " Anything Goes " with this USADA publicity stunt , from " tainted personalities " to review what they had already decided were " Facts " , thru to " witnesses " WHOM YOU , THE FORUM , ALREADY HAD ACCUSED OF BEING USERS being granted " suspended sentences "!

Will even 1% believe that Lance was treated in a fair manner Or give a monkeys for anything that the usada slide under the radar whilst the USA are busy electing the next President ?

Perhaps there should be a subsection of the forum called " THE GLEE CLUB "!

Since then there are a couple of new threads on Lance and his behaviours !

In the TRi World there is a thread discussing his situation and asking for a straight " Yes " or " No "!

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4028556;page=1;mh=-1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC

Lance is quite right with his assertion that USADA are continually moving the " goalposts "! In all other recent " doping cases " , sanctions start immediately BUT here these Five US Racers continue at the " Money Spinning Tour de France " as if nothing has happened ! Indeed JV says " THERE IS NO DEAL "! 


Who to believe ?


http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/06/lance-armstrong-rips-deal-with-accusers-in-doping-case-as-vendetta.htmlhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/06/lance-armstrong-rips-deal-with-accusers-in-doping-case-as-vendetta.html

Reading elsewhere i found this story on a Journo :

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/15052/everyone-loves-raymond


Regardless of what is appearing in the media , there are some " Journos " who still have an open mind on the Lance story !

Lancing Armstrong

WELCOME TO LONDON

Copied from the blog : “ Cyclists in the City “!

The Seattle Times interviewed an official at Transport for London:

"In some ways, a bike riding novice in London is like a beginning skier in the Alps, according to Lilli Matson, an official with Transport of London - they need to be careful. She suggests that newcomers practice riding in safe zones such as London's flat Hyde Park." Lilli Matson is the head of delivery for the aptly-named 'Better Routes and Places' team at Transport for London. Her comment is just so so wrong. And yet she's absolutely right. Cycling in London is like beginning skiing in London.
And that's the problem. It shouldn't be like learning to ski. It should be like Montreal, where everyone can cycle and pretty much all shapes, ages and sizes do seem to cycle. London is turning cycling into an extreme sport - complete with hi-viz and helmets. Meanwhile, people in Montreal just happen to get about using bicycles. No helmets (or very few), no hi-viz. Most people didn't use lights at night, I noticed.

Motor vehicles: give way to people on bikes please !

Another US magazine has also been talking about cycling in London recently. The headline described cycling in London as "hell on two wheels". Using a bike in London is "like Darwinism" and that "only the fittest survive". The article in Atlantic Magazine is pretty straight-talking and it verges at points on the offensive. But both this piece and the article in the Seattle Times are hinting at the same thing. London has got its cycling culture really wrong. With the notable exception of a few small patches in, say Hackney, cycling in London is either commuting at speed or on Sundays when the streets are quieter. It still hasn't broken through to become something that literally everyone and anyone does just to get around.

And for that, I blame the Mayor and Transport for London. We are still designing cycle super highways that operate only at peak hours and are woefully inadequate when you compare them with what's being built in New York or Montreal.

London has exactly the same cycle hire bikes as Montreal. And now New York is launching its cycle hire scheme. Exactly the same bikes. And both cities are building extensive cycle networks with big, protected cycle lanes, priority for people on bikes at junctions. They're doing it right. London bought the bikes and then left Londoners to go play with the motor cars. I think that's wrong.

Those arriving in London seeing the same type of bike available are in for a SHOCKING EXPERIENCE ! As for those whose budget no longer stretches to cope with “ Day to day living expenses “ , what does the above tell them about the choice of a bike as a form of transport ?

Experienced as I am in riding the bike , and my instincts work better than most , I have still broken too many helmets , luckily no broken bones and had too many near misses in traffic  . Taking to skiing  , I was lucky , went through a season from beginner to instructor level . Would hate to think of what would have happened if I took up cycling in London ! Like others I would have probably valued my neck and quit !

Amused to turn on ORF Radio station FM4 today  and hear Stuey Freeman report that his bike , left at work , had lost it’s saddle ! Appealed for the return , but fat chance ! That is in down town Vienna  ! With Boris bikes , I wonder how many of those saddles go missing , are they worth stealing though ?

Whilst on the Dauphinee Libere Tour in Morzine I saw “ race style bikes “ available for rent at 35 euros /Day .  Certainly a better proposition if the roads were safe .


WELCOME TO LONDON

REPLY to the CYCLINGSILK blog

This post started out as a reply to : http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-personal-journey-with-bicycle.html?showComment=1328516429712#c9005153709785114235

Perhaps the issues raised there are more important than most people realise ! Fact is the open road has degenerated into “ Open warfare ” since there are elements of society that think that being in their “ Mobile coffin ” makes them invulnerable to tragedy to them and their families ? Wrapped in a steel environment a small minority think they are isolated from responsibility , or so they think ! Cyclists and Pedestrians will always be the losers when in contact with some “ Careless or Inattentive “ vehicle operator ! That there are Vulnerable Road Users moving around and not paying attention to their circumstances is true also is a certainty ! That the Authorities have enough Legislation in place to deal with collisions between vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users is a given BUT there does not seem to be the “ Political Will ” to deal correctly with obviously outrageous behaviour on the “ Open Roads” . Too often the attitude is “ We can’t undo what has happened “ so a far too lenient penalty is imposed ! “ Road Slaughter ” could be a better description of some of the “ Accidents ” !

As voiced in another blog “ The Times ” has now weighed into the “ Cycling Debate ” due to a member of their staff being Hospitalised whilst riding to work . “ The Thunderer ” has caused “ Parliaments ” to fall and influenced the forming of New Governments during their history , so one hopes that they will succeed with influencing New Legislation to make the roads SAFER for all !

This is my comment to Martin Porter’s Blog which is followed by around 200+ regularly , I wish some of his followers would boost my numbers .

“ Followed link to "Bristol Traffic " and your post is being quoted there already !

Dominating the road is the only safe way to ride considering that you have to dodge potholes , gutters , opening car doors and even rubbish dropped out of vehicle windows !
Some vehicle owners are only safe when they leave the vehicle parked ! That said , it amazes me that in this day when traffic jams are the norm , why any driver expects a clear road because they are running late ?

People need to realise that a Driver's license is a privilege subject to good behaviour and abusing other road users does not qualify for discussion amongst normal people , yet there are some who will regale their group with their latest antics .

Your perseverance in seeking justice is to be commended and I hope your following will adopt the same stance . “The Thundered “ would do well to invite you and like minded to make their views known ! Only when motorists know that their bad behaviour will result in them being sent to “ Kindergarten Driving School ( their vehicle/car carrying a suitable recognisable placard also ) ” as well as financial loss and inconvenience will the message to the few determined bullying drivers be recognised !

No driver will want to wear a “ Learner / Convicted Bully “ placard on their vehicle , imagine the ribbing from colleagues , friends and family ?

Many of your commenters made good points worthy of the “ Funding Authorities ” giving favourable consideration and implementation . Oxford City is just about to spend £1m to move the % of local journeys that can be made by cyclists from 15% closer to 25% ,and that current level is less than Cambridge’s current 21% ! At the same time the Police decide to “ blitz ” cyclists for riding in an area that busses are free to travel and does this send an encouraging message ? So much easier and better for statistics to detain a slow moving cyclist than stop a vehicle with a driver with phone held to ear ? Like other cities Oxford has Cycle Cops and they could have been used to detain and instruct rather than plodders issuing £30 penalties !


Interesting email on “ Bristol Traffic ”blog , typical of the selfish driver , who looks at the momentary inconvenience ! Generally this frustration is down to the driver not planning to arrive on time !


"were you the idiot driver of the grey van who on Wed Feb 1 was swearing at me down at Muller Road because all the way down Romney Ave he hadn't been able to pass me, because I didn't get out of the way of traffic?"

"If you were, can I point out that I was doing 30 mph, so you had no justification to pass me, and as I was following a car doing the same speed about three bike lengths in front, you had nowhere to go anyway."

"I hope you enjoyed the long traffic jam on Muller Road with no bicycle in your way to get upset about"


Leaving late and expecting to catch up along the way never EVER works , leaving early and arriving early gives a person time to relax , read a book or enjoy some other activity !

My blogs highlight plenty of bad behaviour and even at the Tour de France drivers rushing to view the spectacle will hassle cyclists ! They are there to watch the racers and Cyclists are stopping them from speeding , sorry getting , to the spot they will spend 5hrs or so awaiting the Peloton ? After the roads open they will then even prevent those , the racers and team vehicles , that provided their entertainment , from exiting the Finish Area ! With this sort of behaviour it is little wonder the normal roads are treated as a battle ground ! ”

REPLY to the CYCLINGSILK blog

LICENCED TO KILL

Horrified to see Truck driver with “ defective eyesight ”has killed for the second time !

The family of Notting Hill victim Eilidh Cairns are outraged about the February 2009 incident being shoddily investigated and in June 2011 that complacency has resulted in a death being repeated two years later !

Those interested to see more of these stories can use these links :

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/lorry-driver-that-killed-cyclist-in-2009-involved-in-second-fatal-collision

http://road.cc/content/news/47057-eilidh-cairns-killer-implicated-second-london-lorry-fatality


WHEN WAS KEEPING TRAFFIC MOVING MORE IMPORTANT than collecting Evidence ?

Has the Police Authorities taken any action regarding “ Investigation Procedures ” or even retraining of any of the Police Officers involved in the Feb 2009 incident ? Likely answer is NO !

Cyclists in traffic are constantly “ bullied ” and yet we have the “ Polis ” trying to get more people on their bikes ! Seeing “ Boris ” riding without a helmet encourages people to emulate the risk . Many people I find with facial injuries have these in places where the helmet strap could have been and in one of my reports from the Tour de France I stopped to help Touring Cyclists who left their helmets at home . The damage to the scalp was enough for an ambulance ride , and disrupted their touring holiday , “ it can’t happen to me ” attitude prevails .

This latest death was on a pedestrian crossing involving a 97yo lady that survived the Nazis by moving to London . Marlebone Road is dense traffic day long and the pedestrian crossings are mostly on traffic lights but I will not go into detail . Driving this stretch of road over the years I have found it either free flowing in excess of the speed limit or crawling at a snail’s pace and it is never a pleasant experience .

Had the Authorities investigated the first accident in the correct manner then there is every chance the driver would have been “disqualified from driving ” or even possibly served a custodial sentence but the £200 penalty and 3 points is derisory for “ uncorrected eyesight ” ! Did the CPS decide this was the minimum charge that could be presented in court as a result of the incompetence exhibited at the accident site ?

Coroners Courts have an important job and rarely do they fail to satisfy the needs of all concerned but on this occasion there have been failures that need to be addressed for the future benefit of all ! As it stands both the magistrate handing down the £200 penalty and the Coroner in the first incident must be asking themselves if they could have done more and thus one hopes they will be more rigorous when they deal with further Traffic Deaths ?

LICENCED TO KILL

AVOID “AUSI.COM ”!

It's Cold and raining , so i thought to clean up some of my overdue correspondence !

HA ! FAT CHANCE ! AUSI.com won't let me ! Now 14.30 and still can't email !

Since 4am this morning I have been trying to access “Ausi.com ” email facility , to send emails ! During that time , I have had annoying  repetitions of their ads interpose on to the “ Compose ” function thus cancelling the connection ! Seems that , Ads are so important to the Server Owner , that they swamp the available Broadband " Bytes !

Over ten and half hours have passed , and despite repeated efforts , I am unable to send the emails ! Now I admit I make mistakes , thus putting the wrong letter , in the frame , with my clumsy one digit efforts , but transferring from login to compose just does not work recently ! Thus I have to go to the emails and then try to go to “ compose ” and this is when “Ausi Travel ” or “ Sydney Accom ” drop in and my Ausi.com connection drops out !

I HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING ABOUT THESE ADVERTISERS and if i was given a million dollars tomorrow , I would not spend one cent with their organisations !

For nearly 10 years I have used “ ausi.com ” as my principle email address and whilst I realise that ads are providing me with a free service I AM NOT PREPARED TO WASTE 15MB to send one email ! And that is what I have used today and I have still to send those necessary emails !

CONGRATS “ everyone .com ” YOU OWN THE WORST SERVICE that money can buy ! Continual requests to upgrade what should be a FREE service are WASTED EFFORT ! When your free service is THIS BAD , why spend money to get , “ same old, same old ” !

In 2004 whilst I was at the Athens Olympic “ ausi.com ”, changed server and I lost many contacts , when this happened ! One lost email address was , the family who sent the “ Aussie Flag ” to The Athens YHA . Having met them at the roadside of the 2004 Tour de France , I did not have their Perth Address with me in Athens , so email was my point of contact . Well I am still hopeful that they will one day send a reminder via “ ausi.com ” , but they are not the only ones , I hope will one day renew contact .

These days when I encounter anyone I ask them to Google “ Skippydetour ” so that they have a choice of contact point . Regrettably like my bank accounts I am stuck with this shameful service , no doubt I will have to replace my email address with a more reliable service and would ask that anyone contacting me start using “ cc ” Skippydetour@hotmail.com so that I get to see any emails sent to me . Transitioning will take huge amounts of effort since so many of the places I correspond to have “ ausi ” as the referral address and like so many others I cannot recall all my current correspondence let alone all the previous !

Is is now 11½ hours since I tried to send an email and 25MB lost in this endeavour , and even when I go to “ Hotmail.com ” I find that “ Ausitravel & Sydney Accom “ arriving on the screen and after losing another 5MB I have still not sent the emails . Having “ ausi.com ” as my screen saver obviously is part of the problem . The other major part is that “ BOB ” the cheaper of “ A1” the local broadband provider’s choices is a disaster offering 12bytes U/load & 15bytes d/load most of the day !

Click on a story on Twitter or Facebook and Multi MB appear in the computer , as quickly as you can click your fingers , so IF you can receive these whilst awaiting the “ Compose ” function in both email carriers WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?

Watch several “ SKYPE ” friends flash up and can’t get a connection there either ! Sorry , I am not ignoring people BUT there is obviously a MAJOR PROBLEM with the connections !

With the rain outside and the computer problems , today’s morning , has not been the best way to pass time , I hope that the afternoon will see an improvement !

AVOID “AUSI.COM ”!

Friends' Offerings

During the past few days i have received a couple of items which i offer now .

Item one is from Vince in Melbourne who read the blog post on " Cycling Etiquette " from last month . This item was emailed to him .


" " The lost art of a group ride "



By Peter Wilborn

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com

Last week I wrote a post about Melbourne's bunch ride culture and the direction it's heading. Meanwhile, other cities in Australia manage to keep things in line because they haven't lost the notion of "the patron of the peloton". Someone directed me to a post written by Peter Wilborn from South Carolina (where the riding is spectacular I might add) which hit the nail on the head.

With Peter's permission I've reposted his article which nicely articulates what a bunch ride should be, and more importantly, what the leaders of the ride should be.

Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the camaraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.

The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PB for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!

I curse under my breath, remembering why I always ride with only a few friends. Doesn’t anyone else realize how dangerous this ride is? How bad it is for our reputation on the road? There are clear rules of ride etiquette, safety, and common sense. Does anyone here know the rules? Who is in charge?

But no one is in charge, and the chaotic group has no idea of how to ride together. As a bike lawyer, I get the complaints from irritated drivers, concerned police, controversy-seeking journalists, and injured cyclists. It needs to get better, but the obstacles are real:

First, everyone is an expert these days. The internet and a power meter do not replace 50,000 miles of experience, but try telling that to a fit forty year-old, new to cycling, on a $5000 bike. Or, god forbid, a triathlete. No one wants to be told what to do.

Second, the more experienced riders just want to drop the others and not be bothered. It is all about the workout, the ego boost, or riding with a subset of friends. But a group ride is neither a race nor cycling Darwinism. As riders get better, they seek to distinguish themselves by riding faster on more trendy bikes; but as riders get better they need to realize two things:
1) there is always someone faster, and
2) they have obligations as leaders.

Cycling is not a never ending ladder, each step aspiring upwards, casting aspersions down. It is a club, and we should want to expand and improve our membership.


Third, different rides are advertised by average speed, but speed is only one part of the equation. This approach makes speed the sole metric for judging a cyclist, and creates the false impression that a fit rider is a good one. Almost anyone can be somewhat fast on a bike, but few learn to be elegant, graceful cyclists.


Fourth, riding a bike well requires technique training. Good swimmers, for example, constantly work on form and drills; so should cyclists. Anyone remember the C.O.N.I. Manual or Eddie Borysewich’s book? They are out-of-print, but their traditional approach to bike technique should not be lost. More emphasis was given on fluid pedaling and bike handling.
Before the internet, before custom bikes, and before Lance, it was done better. Learning to ride was an apprenticeship. The goal was to become a member of the peloton, not merely a guy who is sort of fast on a bike. Membership was the point, not to be the local Cat. 5 champ. You were invited to go on group ride if you showed a interest and a willingness to learn. You were uninvited if you did not. You learned the skills from directly from the leader, who took an interest in riding next to you on your first rides (and not next to his friends, like better riders do today).


Here is some of what you learned:

- To ride for months each year in the small ring.
- To take your cycling shorts off immediately after a ride.
- To start with a humble bike, probably used.
- To pull without surging.
- To run rotating pace line drills and flick others through.
- To form an echelon.
- To ride through the top of a climb.
- To hold your line in a corner.
- To stand up smoothly and not throw your bike back.
- To give the person ahead of you on a climb a little more room to stand up.
- To respect the yellow line rule.
- To point out significant road problems.
- To brake less, especially in a pace line.
- To follow the wheel in front and not overlap.

The ride leader and his lieutenants were serious about their roles, because the safety of the group depended on you, the weakest link. If you did not follow the rules, you were chastised. Harshly. If you did, you became a member of something spectacular.

The Peloton. "

Another item was sent earlier by Georgethecyclist.blogspot which i found thoroughly amusing :

From: david bier
Subject: Fwd: [EBCSocial] Jens Voigt
To: "george christensen"
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 8:48 AM

Jens Voigt signs for 1 more year with new Radioshack Nissan Trek team for 2012 to ride for the Schleck's at the Tour

"Jens Voigt doesn't sleep. The dark is afraid of him."

"After a race stage, the team mechanic takes Jens Voigt's bike out back and shoots it to put it out of its misery."

"Jens Voigt once rode at the back of the peloton -just to see what it looked like."

"Jens Voigt is the only person in the world who can actually give 110%."

"When Jens gets a water bottle he gives the team car a push."

"Jen's can only motor pace once a week because the scooter needs 6 rest days to recover."

In Jen's first Tour de France he wasn't aware you didn't have to arrive in Paris on the first day. He had to back track almost 3,350km to start stage 2.

When Jens gives you the finger, he's telling you how many seconds you have left until he attacks .

Fabian Cancellara did NOT have a motor in his downtube. He had a tiny Jens Voigt in there instead.

In Germany, nails are described as being tough as Jens.


Should you have any amusing and interesting items to share , please forward them for us All to enjoy !

Please also take a look at :


www.parrabuddy.blogspot.com/competitiondetails

would like to try and give some Continental 4000s clincher tyres to a Paralympic Athlete but will change the conditions that were applied in the last offering when people let me know what they suggest as reasonable !

Friends' Offerings

Zillertal Ride

During the first days back in Austria i took a ride to loosen up after the car ride back from the Tour de France . Heading east i encountered a cyclist that seemed to be pretty quick so turned and caught up with him . He was heading into the Zillertal and then up the " Alpback pass " then back to Soll where he had started his ride .

The ride up the climb was interupted by road works which meant either a descent to the valley or a walk through the scrub for about a kilometre around the gully bridge that was being rebuilt . During this walk we descended into the stream bed shown here before climbing back to the paddock beyond and then joined the road once again .

After climbing a little further we shot this view before continuing over the saddle and stopping at the water outlet on the side of the road .

Further down we stopped so that i could take this view of the "Alpbachtal " .

Arriving back in Brixlegg we parted company after i decided it was time for lunch so as to refuel for an afternoon ride elsewhere .

Zillertal Ride